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Carlos Alcaraz v Jannik Sinner thriller joins list of classic men's finals

Carlos Alcaraz v Jannik Sinner thriller joins list of classic men's finals

Here, the PA news agency looks at five other memorable men's singles finals.
Roger Federer v Rafael Nadal (Wimbledon final 2008)
Spain's Rafael Nadal celebrates his victory over Switzerland's Roger Federer (Sean Dempsey/PA)
Nadal came out on top 6–4 6–4 6–7(5) 6–7(8) 9–7 as two tennis greats went head-to-head in a final lasting almost five hours.
Spaniard Nadal stormed into a two-set lead but Federer battled back with two tie-break victories.
Rain delays played a part in building tension for a deciding set which Nadal edged 9–7 to claim his maiden Wimbledon title.
Bjorn Borg v John McEnroe – Wimbledon final 1980
Federer's clash with Nadal was championed as the greatest final since Borg beat McEnroe in 1980.
In just under four hours, four-time champion Borg beat brash young New Yorker McEnroe 1-6 7-5 6-3 6-7 (16) 8-6.
McEnroe would not go away, saving seven championship points during the match, but Borg eventually saw it through.
Novak Djokovic vs. Rafael Nadal (Australian Open final 2012)
Djokovic claimed his third Australian Open title with a 5–7 6–4 6–2 6–7 7–5 triumph over Nadal in the longest final of the Open era.
The five-hour 53-minute contest between the two top-ranked players at the time, beat the record set in the 1988 US Open final.
The final set saw the two deadlocked at 4-4 before a Djokovic break of serve allowed the match to conclude in the early hours in Melbourne.
Novak Djokovic vs. Roger Federer (Wimbledon final 2019)
Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer (left) shake hands after the mens singles final on day thirteen of the Wimbledon (Victoria Jones/PA)
Federer was beaten in the last major final of his career as world number one Djokovic toppled the second seed 7-6 1-6 7-6 4-6 13-12 in another near five-hour affair.
The Serbian eventually claimed the deciding set in what is the longest Wimbledon final in history.
Andy Murray vs Roger Federer (London 2012 Olympics final)
Andy Murray put his Wimbledon final defeat to Federer a month earlier behind him, gaining revenge with a 6–2 6–1 6–4 victory to claim Olympic Gold.
A home crowd roared Murray on to Team GB's first medal in the event since 1908 in a contest which sticks in the memory for the emotion of Murray's display and undoubted quality as he got past the then world number one.

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Ronaldo confirms Portugal injury nightmare as he makes Martinez thoughts clear
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Ronaldo confirms Portugal injury nightmare as he makes Martinez thoughts clear

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Carlos Alcaraz has entered territory that even eluded the ‘Big Three'
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Alcaraz has entered territory that eluded even Nadal, Djokovic and Roger Federer. At just 22, he is a back-to-back champion at both Roland Garros and Wimbledon, a double distinction that those three titans could not complete across their entire careers. While it is always tempting to find parallels, to equate Alcaraz's obduracy with Nadal's or his status as the crowd favourite with Federer's, the joy is that he is so defiantly his own man. Where Nadal won 14 of his 22 titles on the crushed brick, Alcaraz's great virtue is his versatility, with his five titles spread across clay, grass and hard courts. Melbourne Park, where he has curiously not advanced beyond the quarter-finals in four attempts, is the one stage he has left to conquer. The beau monde assembled on Court Philippe Chatrier cheered for Alcaraz as unashamedly as Centre Court, otherwise known as Basel-on-Thames, did for Federer. But their personalities could hardly be more different. Where Federer's emotions would be carefully modulated, Alcaraz's body language in this final was an open book: one moment he was chuntering at coach Juan Carlos Ferraro about how difficult Sinner was to break down, the next he was whipping up his audience to inspire him to one of sport's finest comebacks. The figure he most closely resembled was Djokovic. Just as the Serb saved two championship points against Federer to win Wimbledon in 2019, Alcaraz had to save three before finally seeing off Sinner. There were other reasons why he monopolised affections in Paris. As much as there was to admire in Sinner's play, it was also difficult to look beyond the issue of whether the Italian should have been in this tournament at all, with his three-month ban for two failed drug tests conveniently timed so that he did not miss a single major. Where every Alcaraz winner was wildly cheered by A-listers from Dustin Hoffman to Natalie Portman, Sinner drew little more than polite ripples for his own prodigious efforts. It appeared unfairly partisan at times, but it accurately reflected the two players' standings in the court of public opinion. Only Alcaraz can explain how, at 3-5, 0-40 in a match he trailed by two sets to one, he contrived a way to win one hour and 45 minutes later. He possesses that rarest of gifts, the capacity always to save his most stirring of feats for the grandest occasions. Five wins in his first five Grand Slam finals? That is the mark of a champion destined to become an immortal. Better yet, he wears that aura with uncommon poise. After the court had emptied, one of his first gestures, having strained every sinew for this achievement, was to celebrate with the ball boys and girls. Sinner exuded similar grace in the harshest circumstances. He was generous to Alcaraz in the aftermath, just as he had been sportsmanlike during the match over marginal line calls. While they might be polar opposites as characters, with Alcaraz's flamboyance the antithesis to Sinner's froideur, both carry themselves impeccably. Theirs, truly, is a tug-of-war to cherish.

Carlos Alcaraz v Jannik Sinner thriller joins list of classic men's finals
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North Wales Chronicle

time6 hours ago

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Carlos Alcaraz v Jannik Sinner thriller joins list of classic men's finals

Here, the PA news agency looks at five other memorable men's singles finals. Nadal came out on top 6–4 6–4 6–7(5) 6–7(8) 9–7 as two tennis greats went head-to-head in a final lasting almost five hours. Spaniard Nadal stormed into a two-set lead but Federer battled back with two tie-break victories. Rain delays played a part in building tension for a deciding set which Nadal edged 9–7 to claim his maiden Wimbledon title. One of the greatest? WATCH… Borg v McEnroe #Wimbledon final 1980… — Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) November 7, 2014 Federer's clash with Nadal was championed as the greatest final since Borg beat McEnroe in 1980. In just under four hours, four-time champion Borg beat brash young New Yorker McEnroe 1-6 7-5 6-3 6-7 (16) 8-6. McEnroe would not go away, saving seven championship points during the match, but Borg eventually saw it through. Let's run it back to 2012, shall we? 🍿@DjokerNole v @RafaelNadal extended highlights 👉 #AusOpen — #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) May 31, 2022 Djokovic claimed his third Australian Open title with a 5–7 6–4 6–2 6–7 7–5 triumph over Nadal in the longest final of the Open era. The five-hour 53-minute contest between the two top-ranked players at the time, beat the record set in the 1988 US Open final. The final set saw the two deadlocked at 4-4 before a Djokovic break of serve allowed the match to conclude in the early hours in Melbourne. Federer was beaten in the last major final of his career as world number one Djokovic toppled the second seed 7-6 1-6 7-6 4-6 13-12 in another near five-hour affair. The Serbian eventually claimed the deciding set in what is the longest Wimbledon final in history. #OnThisDay 2012 @andy_murray won Gold at the London #Olympics! 🇬🇧🥇 📽️ via @TeamGB — LTA (@the_LTA) August 5, 2017 Andy Murray put his Wimbledon final defeat to Federer a month earlier behind him, gaining revenge with a 6–2 6–1 6–4 victory to claim Olympic Gold. A home crowd roared Murray on to Team GB's first medal in the event since 1908 in a contest which sticks in the memory for the emotion of Murray's display and undoubted quality as he got past the then world number one.

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